


Invertebrates

by link621



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-09
Updated: 2012-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:11:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26400145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/link621/pseuds/link621
Summary: Shiraishi struggles to find the perfect gift for Yukimura's birthday.
Relationships: Shiraishi Kuranosuke/Yukimura Seiichi
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Invertebrates

"So, all they have are invertebrates?" Yukimura was looking at the sign of the zoo doubtfully, perhaps turned off by the bright yellow font on the bright green sign. Shiraishi knew that all of those doubts would wash away when they were actually inside, though - this was paradise for someone like Yukimura... for someone like Shiraishi himself, really.

As a child, his parents brought him here often. All of the animals in the zoo (both "animals" and "zoo" used liberally) were invertebrates - all manner of bugs, spiders, and even sea life graced the main building of the zoo. There was even a station set up where visitors were allowed to handle a Chilean Red-Knee tarantula named "Rosie." Shiraishi remembered being absolutely fascinated as a child to learn that there were actually approximately fifty "Rosies" in the zoo, rotated out so that they were not being handled daily. It may have been why he became so interested in having his own bug as a pet. Really, his mother brought this upon herself and she was no longer allowed to complain about him keeping strange things in the house, as far as he was concerned.

Yukimura clutched the bundle of tulips to his chest, trying to get a peek at the rooms beyond while Shiraishi paid for their entrance fee. It wasn't cheap, but the money would be donated to conservation efforts (which he knew Yukimura would approve of), and it was Yukimura's birthday. Finally seventeen, well behind the rest of the kids in their age group. Shiraishi thought that was worth a special celebration. He did not want to admit that it was partially Kintarou's idea to bring Yukimura down to Osaka for the weekend where it was a little bit warmer (also not cheap, but worthwhile).

He's a good friend, Shiraishi had reasoned to his sister when she questioned why he was spending all of the money he earned with his part time job during the tennis off-season on a ticket for the shinkansen, some tulips, and entry fees to a tiny invertebrates zoo. The part he had not shared with his sister was that this was a last-ditch effort to win Yukimura over before he graduated high school and either pursued tennis professionally and moved out of Japan or dedicated himself to his studies fully to pursue some other career and became unreachable.

Previous attempts had failed miserably. He had tried flowers, art lessons, museums, French food, classical music, and even tennis (where he realized he was way out of his league) to no avail. If something here did not catch Yukimura's fancy, nothing would.

To his great pleasure, Yukimura lit up like a bulb the moment he spotted praying mantis exhibit. Shiraishi was dragged from there to the stick bugs where a whole new set of rambles fell from Yukimura's lips. It continued as they met and held Rosie, boggled at the very poisonous black widow, and spent fifteen minutes just watching ants working hard to build their home in a glass cross-section, totally unaware that they were being watched. And Yukimura hadn't even seen the best part, yet.

"Hold these," Yukimura breathed, pushing the tulips into Shiraishi's arms. His eyes turned upward as they walked into the butterfly exhibit - a large room modeled after a rain forest where the butterflies roamed free. Other visitors had butterflies in their hair, on their hands, or posing dutifully for pictures. The air was hot and thick, the sharp smell of lush foliage and dirt nearly suffocating, but it was easy to quickly forget those things with the butterflies flitting around the room.

"I knew you'd like it," Shiraishi said, watching as one of the butterflies landed on a tulip. It was his favorite - one of the large white butterflies that were as big as his hand. They were hard to capture in pictures, they often would not hold still, but they were a marvel to look at. Much like Yukimura himself who was all but doing whirls of glee - he suddenly looked ten years younger, smiling with unhindered joy. "Happy birthday, Yuk-"

That was when Yukimura slammed into him, startling away the white butterfly and nearly crushing the tulips. "Thank you," he said, a sparkle in his eyes as he looked up to Shiraishi. "This is just what I wanted."

"Me too," said Shiraishi, knowing full well that neither of them were thinking of invertebrates.


End file.
